Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Prior to 11.17.0, Directus' GraphQL endpoints (/graphql and /graphql/system) did not deduplicate resolver invocations within a single request. An authenticated user could exploit GraphQL aliasing to repeat an expensive relational query many times in a single request, forcing the server to execute a large number of independent complex database queries concurrently, multiplying database load linearly with the number of aliases. The existing token limit on GraphQL queries still permitted enough aliases for significant resource exhaustion, while the relational depth limit applied per alias without reducing the total number executed. Rate limiting is disabled by default, meaning no built-in throttle prevented this from causing CPU, memory, and I/O exhaustion that could degrade or crash the service. Any authenticated user, including those with minimal read-only permissions, could trigger this condition. This vulnerability is fixed in 11.17.0.
Advisories
Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-ph52-67fq-75wj Directus: GraphQL Alias Amplification Denial of Service Due to Missing Query Cost/Complexity Limits
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Directus
Directus directus
Vendors & Products Directus
Directus directus

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Directus is a real-time API and App dashboard for managing SQL database content. Prior to 11.17.0, Directus' GraphQL endpoints (/graphql and /graphql/system) did not deduplicate resolver invocations within a single request. An authenticated user could exploit GraphQL aliasing to repeat an expensive relational query many times in a single request, forcing the server to execute a large number of independent complex database queries concurrently, multiplying database load linearly with the number of aliases. The existing token limit on GraphQL queries still permitted enough aliases for significant resource exhaustion, while the relational depth limit applied per alias without reducing the total number executed. Rate limiting is disabled by default, meaning no built-in throttle prevented this from causing CPU, memory, and I/O exhaustion that could degrade or crash the service. Any authenticated user, including those with minimal read-only permissions, could trigger this condition. This vulnerability is fixed in 11.17.0.
Title Directus Affected by GraphQL Alias Amplification Denial-of-Service Due to Missing Query Cost/Complexity Limits
Weaknesses CWE-400
CWE-770
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}


Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-04-06T21:36:07.737Z

Reserved: 2026-04-02T19:25:52.192Z

Link: CVE-2026-35441

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-04-06T22:16:22.697

Modified: 2026-04-06T22:16:22.697

Link: CVE-2026-35441

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-04-07T09:36:44Z

Weaknesses